The Ohio Elections Commission (OEC) has found that Madison Township trustee candidate Thomas Rinehart did not violate Campaign Finance and Compliance Disclosure Guide rules which require the "paid for by…" financial disclaimer on campaign signs.
"They (the OEC) found there were no violations," Rinehart said in a Dec. 26 interview.
According to the OEC, "The complaint did not include any picture or other element of evidence that would demonstrate that the campaign signs did not include a disclaimer."
The original complaint against Rinehart was filed by Rashid Taylor, campaign treasurer for Madison Township trustee candidate Ed Dildine. Dildine was one of Rinehart’s opponents for the trustee seat in the Nov. 6 election.
In an interview Oct. 26, Taylor said he was putting out campaign signs for Dildine when he allegedly noticed Rinehart’s campaign signs did not include the financial disclaimer.
In a letter to the OEC dated Oct. 25, Rinehart stated "the printer had not printed the disclaimer by mistake. I printed the disclaimer on weather proof shipping labels with a laser printer and attached disclaimers to both sides of the signs on the left bottom side of each and every sign prior to placement."
The failure of a candidate to show a proper disclaimer on campaign materials could result in a fine up to $500.
Susan Brobst won the election for the trustee seat with Dildine finishing second, Rinehart coming in third, and Charles Johnson fourth.
